The Suicide Squad (2021 film)

 

Based on the DC Comics series, The Suicide Squad is a sequel of sorts to the 2016 film in which a group of anti-heroes and villains team-up to stop a major threat in a small South American island nation in the hopes they get a lighter sentence in their prison time. Written for the screen and directed by James Gunn, the film is a different take on this anti-hero group as they deal with corruption and other issues that forces them to save the world from a threat bigger than themselves. Starring Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Peter Capaldi, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Michael Rooker, Jai Courtney, Alice Braga, Pete Davidson, Sean Gunn, with the voice of Sylvester Stallone, and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. The Suicide Squad is an outlandish yet exhilarating film from James Gunn.

The film revolves around a small South American island who had been taken over during a coup where American intelligence officer Amanda Waller sends two groups of anti-heroes to infiltrate the island to destroy a lab known as the Jotunheim and all of its secrets unaware of what it’s hiding. It is a film that explore these band of misfits, criminals, and anti-heroes who are given a chance to reduce whatever prison sentences they have by helping the government destroy this lab created during World War II by the Nazis. Yet, complications arise where one team lead by Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) with his old teammate Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) are ambushed with Flag and Quinn both captured forcing the other team lead by the former mercenary Robert DuBois/Bloodsport (Idris Elba) to finish the mission with his own band of misfits that includes the jingoist killer Christopher Smith/Peacemaker (John Cena), a man-eating shark-human hybrid known as Nanaue/King Shark (Steve Agee/voice of Sylvester Stallone), an eccentric man in Abner Krill/Polka Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) who uses polka dots as weapons, and a thief who can summon rats in Cleo Cazo/Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) like her father before her.

James Gunn’s screenplay doesn’t go into anything that had happened in the previous film as it is more about what is happening at the moment with DuBois being reluctant to take part of this government-led task force run by Waller because he admits to not being a good person. Yet, when he learns that his estranged 16-year old daughter Tyla (Storm Reid) might be going to prison because of stealing a TV watch. DuBois accepts the tasks unaware that his old friend Colonel Flag is leading the first task force that got ambushed because one of its soldiers sold them out to the army of Corto Maltese with only Colonel Flag and Quinn surviving. Still, the group that DuBois is leading are an odd bunch as he also has a phobia for rats which makes him uncomfortable in his interactions with Cazo even though she is a kind-hearted person who likes to sleep a lot. The military dictatorship of Corto Maltese are hoping to be taken seriously with this mysterious weapon that is overseen by a scientist Gaius Grieves/the Thinker (Peter Capaldi) who is the man that Waller wants DuBois and others to take and bring them into the Jotunheim to destroy whatever Grieves is working on leading to many revelations for those working for Waller.

Gunn’s direction is definitely stylish as it doesn’t just play into some of the cartoonish elements when it comes to some of the film’s graphic violence but also in the fact that it is an anti-superhero film grounded by compelling characters who are all just a bunch of misfits. Shot largely on location at the Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Duluth, Georgia with flashback shots of Cazo as a child with her father (Taika Waititi) in Portugal and some of the streets of Corto Maltese shot on location in Colon, Panama. Gunn does play into the stakes with the first shot revolving around a criminal in Brian Durlin/Savant (Michael Rooker) playing handball with accurate bounces where he is called upon to take part in a group that is led by Colonel Flag with Quinn, Digger Harkness/Boomerang (Jai Courtney), and other anti-heroes such as an idiotic mercenary in Richard “Dick” Hertz/Blackguard (Pete Davidson), Cory Pitzner/T.D.K. (Nathan Fillion), Gunter Braun/Javelin (Flula Borg), the alien mass-murderer Mongol (Mayling Ng), and a weasel named Weasel (Sean Gunn). The usage of wide and medium shots has Gunn playing to the scope of the group shots as well as the island that is Corto Maltese as it has a grimy look that is colorful but also in decay.

Gunn also play into this air of dysfunction within the group as well as what goes on in Waller’s main base with her own team of people who are troubled by some of her decisions but also how she runs things. Even in Gunn’s usage of the close-ups as it play into the way characters interact with one another such as Cazo telling her story to DuBois while asking him about his phobia for rats. The film does have a structure but also some non-linear narratives in the script that includes the film’s third act where it does play into revelations into what is inside the Jotunheim. It adds not just a conflict about what this band of misfits is fighting against but also question on who they’re forced to work for. Even when the weapon that is unveiled proved to be bigger than anything or anyone has expected. Overall, Gunn crafts an outrageous yet insane film about a bunch of antiheroes who go to a small South American island to kill some people and destroy some old fortress as well as what is inside.

Cinematographer Henry Braham does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it has elements of style with its usage of vibrant colors, heightened lighting for some of the daytime exteriors, and some unique lighting for some of the interior scenes at night. Editors Fred Raskin and Christian Wagner do excellent work with the editing as it does have some style in some slow-motion work for a fight scene involving Quinn and some soldiers in a hallway as well as jump-cuts and other stylish cuts to play into the story. Production designer Beth Mickle, with set decorator Lisa K. Sessions and supervising art director Alan Hook, does amazing work with the look of the buildings of the island as well as the prison where many of the people of the Suicide Squad live in as well as the club that Grieves visits. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does fantastic work with the costumes as it has different looks for many of the different members of the Suicide Squad including Krill’s polka dot costume, the helmets that DuBois and Smith’s helmets, and the red dress that Quinn would wear upon her dinner with one of the dictators.

The special makeup effects work of Greg Funk, Shane Mahan, Brian Sipe, and Matt Sprunger do incredible work with the look of some of the characters with Krill and the polka dot rashes he has on his face as well as Quinn’s own look. Special effects designers Ethan Carney, Peter Carney, and Bailey Eller, along with visual effects supervisor Kelvin McIlwain, do phenomenal work with the visual effects in the design of Nanaue as well as a big thing that would occur in the film’s climax. Sound designer David Acord does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects created in some of the weapons the characters create as well as some of the places they go to. The film’s music by John Murphy does wonderful work with the music as it has elements of orchestral bombast to play into the action and suspense along with somber pieces that include a theme for Cazo’s story while the music soundtrack features an array of pieces from Johnny Cash, Pixies, the Decemberists, Kansas, the Fratellis, Ceu, K.Flay, Grandson with Jessie Reyez, Louis Prima, Culture Abuse, and the trio of Drik Barbosa, Gloria Groove, and Karol Conka.

The casting by Yiniva Cardenas and John Papsidera is marvelous as it feature notable small roles and appearances from Lloyd Kaufman as a man at the club, Pom Klementieff in an un-credited performance as a lead dancer in the nightclub, Natalia Safran as the villainous inmate Kaleidoscope, John Leland Gore as the incarcerated villain Double Down, Lynne Ashe as Krill’s mother whom he sees whenever he gets really angry, Sean Gunn in a dual role as the strange animal creature known as Weasel and a convicted villain in Calendar Man, Mikaela Hoover as General Suarez’s secretary Camila, Julio Ruiz as a contact for the Suicide Squad in Milton, Maya Le Clark as the young Cazo, Storm Reid as DuBois’ teenage daughter Tyla who hates her father yet is facing a possible prison sentence, and Taika Waititi as Cazo’s father who is the original Ratcatcher who taught his daughters about the worth of rats. In the roles of Amanda Waller’s team who survey over the whereabouts of the Suicide Squad, the performances of Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt, Tinashe Kajese as Flo Crawley, and Steve Agee as John Economos are terrific as the trio who question Waller’s intentions and methods as well as discovering what the Suicide Squad had discovered.

Juan Diego Botto and Joaquin Cosio are superb in their respective roles as the villainous dictators Silvio Luna and General Mateo Suarez as two men who want to prove that their island is nothing to laugh at with the former being a romantic that is in love with Harley Quinn while the latter is just a man of power. In the roles of members of the first Suicide Squad group shown early in the film, Mayling Ng as the alien murderess Mongal, Flula Borg as the athletic Gunter Braun/Javelin who uses a javelin as a weapon that Quinn would later use, and Nathan Fillion as Corey Pitzner/T.D.K. who can detach his arms as weapons are fun to watch in what they can do despite being betrayed with Pete Davidson in a fine small role as the idiotic mercenary Dick Hertz/Blackguard while Michael Rooker’s performance as Brian Durlin/Savant and Jai Courtney’s performance as Digger Harkness/Captain Boomerang are a joy to watch with Rooker being the most deadly despite the ambush he had to encounter. Alice Braga is fantastic in her small role as a Corto Maltese rebel leader in Sol Soria who helps out DuBois and his team in overthrowing Luna and General Suarez while also being aware that something worse is happening.

Peter Capaldi is excellent as Gaius Grieves/the Thinker as a scientist who has been experimenting with a mysterious being inside this old Nazi lab/fortress where he is also this man that isn’t afraid to talk shit as he brings a lot of humor to his performance. Viola Davis is brilliant as Amanda Waller as an intelligence officer who organizes the missions and watches over the Suicide Squad as well as playing to their fate in concealing her own intentions for the government. Joel Kinnaman is amazing as Colonel Rick Flag as a military leader who lead one task force of the group until an ambush ruined everything where he is later saved in his capture where he reunites with his old friend DuBois where they both make a discovery into what is inside the lab that questions Flag’s own role for the government. David Dastmalchian is hilarious as Abner Krill/Polka Dot Man as an experiment gone wrong who gets polka dot rashes and uses polka dots as weapons where Dastmalchian has a sensitivity to the way he portrays the character but is also someone with an offbeat sense of humor.

Daniela Melchior is incredible as Cleo Cazo/Ratcatcher 2 as a thief who can summon rats like her father before her as she is also someone who is kind to everyone while also being accompanied by her pet rat named Sebastian who takes a liking towards DuBois. Sylvester Stallone is a fucking hoot in his voice performance as Nanaue/King Shark with Steve Agee doing the motion-capture work as this human-shark hybrid who doesn’t say a lot of words yet eats a lot of people while also learning the value of friendship. John Cena is phenomenal as Christopher Smith/Peacemaker as this douchebag version of Captain America with a jingoist attitude who says a lot of funny and profane shit while also being someone who feels like something has to be done in which he causes a lot of conflict with those he’s with including DuBois and Colonel Flag.

Idris Elba is sensational as Robert DuBois/Bloodsport as a mercenary with unique nanotech that allows him to create weapons as he’s a great marksman but also someone who is reluctant to lead since he doesn’t consider himself a man with redeeming qualities where Elba brings a lot of nuances to the character. Finally, there’s Margot Robbie in a tremendous performance as the famed criminal Harley Quinn who helps out Colonel Flag only to be captured where she deals with surviving an ambush and being a crush for one of the dictators where Robbie brings a lot of energy and wit to the character who is crazy but also someone who cares about her friends and the world in general.

The Suicide Squad is a spectacular film from James Gunn. Featuring a great ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, its exploration on a gang of misfits trying to save the world, a fun music soundtrack, and its refusal to take itself seriously. It is a film that isn’t afraid to be profane nor is it willing to play nice in favor of just being a violent film with lots of cartoonish elements that allows itself to be ridiculous and fun. In the end, The Suicide Squad is a tremendous film from James Gunn.

James Gunn Films: (Slither) – (Super (2010 film)) – Guardians of the Galaxy - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - Superman (2025 film) - (The Auteurs #76: James Gunn)

DC Extended Universe: Man of Steel - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Suicide Squad - Wonder Woman - Justice League - Aquaman - Shazam! - Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) - Wonder Woman 1984 - Zack Snyder's Justice League - (Black Adam) – (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) – (The Flash) - (Blue Beetle) - (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom)

© thevoid99 2022

Creed (2015 film)

Directed by Ryan Coogler and screenplay by Coogler and Aaron Covington from a story by Coogler that is based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone, Creed is the story of a young man who is the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed who wants to follow in his father’s footsteps as he seeks the help from his father’s greatest opponent in Rocky Balboa. The film is a spin-off of sorts of the Rocky series that has Balboa return to the world of boxing but as a mentor to the son of his greatest opponent while he is fighting his own personal battles as Stallone reprises his role as Balboa with Michael B. Jordan as Adonis Creed. Also starring Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Tony Bellew, Graham McTavish, and Phylicia Rashad. Creed is a thrilling and evocative film from Ryan Coogler.

The film follows a young man named Adonis Johnson who learns at a young age that he’s the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed from Creed’s widow Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad) who adopts him hoping he would get the chance of a life without any complications. Yet, Adonis yearns to fight like the father he never knew as he travels from Los Angeles to Philadelphia to meet the man who was considered his father’s greatest opponent in Rocky Balboa who had disconnected himself from the world of boxing as he’s reluctant to return to that world. The film’s screenplay by Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington definitely provide some insight into who Apollo Creed was before he fought Balboa as well as the fact that he was a flawed man who cheated on his wife just before he died. Yet, it is more about this young man in Adonis who is trying to make his own mark without using his father’s namesake as he wants to do it on his own despite the fact that he’s given a great education, a stable job, and a home that many struggling boxers would want.

Unfortunately, Adonis still has a chip of his shoulder of not feeling wanted nor feeling like he has an identity as he turns to Balboa for help who has his own reasons for not wanting to train him. Still, Balboa sees the passion in Adonis and the hunger to fight as he would train and mentor him while Adonis finds his footing in Philadelphia where he embarks on a relationship with a young R&B singer named Bianca (Tessa Thompson) where they both live in the same building. The script doesn’t just play into Adonis coming into his own as a boxer and a person but also Balboa struggling with the past as well as the fact that he’s becoming sick forcing him to confront his own mortality having already lost so many people in his life. The film’s climax does involve a big fight where Adonis not only has to accept his namesake but also fight a top fighter who is about to go into forced retirement due to an impending prison sentence.

Coogler’s direction is stylish in terms of not just some of the compositions but also in the way he would create scenes in the film. Shot mainly in Philadelphia with some of it in Los Angeles as well as the film’s climax in Liverpool, the film does have a somewhat worldly feel yet it is grounded in the streets as it play into Adonis’ need to connect with the real world as he is first seen as a child fighting with another boy at juvenile center where he would meet Mary Anne Creed for the first time. Much of the direction is intimate as Coogler would use a lot of medium shots and close-ups to play into Adonis’ encounter with people including scenes with Bianca as they’re both individuals fighting to reach a certain dream as well as having similar struggles as Bianca wears hearing aids in her ear due to some disease. That sense of grounding in Coogler’s direction gives the film an air of authenticity that often lacks in boxing films while using Philadelphia as this epicenter of an array of diverse cultures.

While there are some wide shots in some scenes, Coogler’s approach to directing the few fights in the film are stylish as the first major professional fight for Adonis against a top contender from Philadelphia is shot entirely in one-take for two rounds with a long tracking shot with Steadicam cameras to capture the fight. It’s among a few moments in the film where Coogler would create something that feels technical but also add a realism to what goes on inside the ring. The direction does have a few visual references to the Rocky films yet it remains all about Adonis and what he has to fight for in the film’s climax where he goes up against the light heavyweight world champ in “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew) as it carries a lot of weight into what is at stake. Overall, Coogler crafts an enthralling and rapturous film about a young man trying to make his own mark in the world with the help of the man who gave his father one of his great fights.

Cinematographer Maryse Alberti does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for many of the scenes set in the daytime along with some stylish lights for some of the interior scenes set at night. Editor Michael P. Shawver and Claudia Castello does excellent work with the stylish cuts as it has elements of jump-cut and slow-motion cuts to play into the drama as well as the training montages and the fights. Production designer Hannah Beachler, with art directors Danny Brown and Jesse Rosenthal plus set decorator Amanda Carroll, does fantastic work with the look of the house that Mary Anne lives in as well as the apartment that Adonis lives in at Philadelphia as well as the gyms that he goes to with Balboa. Costume designers Antoinette Messam and Emma Potter do terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual to play into the look of winter-time Philadelphia as well as the look of the boxing trunks Adonis and other fighters would wear.

Visual effects supervisors Alison O’Brien and Dean Wright do nice work with the film’s minimal visual effects as it is mainly used for the film’s climax for the size of the crowd in some shots of the film. Sound editor Benjamin A. Burtt does amazing work with the sound in the way some of the punches are presented as well as the sound of the crowds in the fights and the way music is heard at the apartment Adonis is living in. The film’s music by Ludwig Goransson is superb for its mixture of orchestral bombast with elements of R&B grooves, hip-hop beats, and electronic textures to play into the local atmosphere of Philadelphia while including elements of Bill Conti’s score music from the Rocky films while music supervisor Gabe Hilfer creates a fun soundtrack that consists of blues, R&B, and hi-hop from acts such as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, 2Pac, the Roots with John Legend, Meek Mill, and several others from the Philadelphia hip-hop and R&B music scene.

The casting by Kathy Driscoll and Francine Maisler is incredible as it feature some notable appearances and small roles from the famed cut man Jason “Stich” Duran as Adonis’ cut man, Andre Ward and Gabriel Rosado as a couple of light heavyweight fighters Adonis encounters with, Alex Henderson as the young Adonis, Ritchie Coster as one of Rocky’s old opponents in Pete Sporino who is now a trainer whose son is a fighter training at Rocky’s old gym, and Wood Harris as Tony “Duke” Evers’ son Tony Jr. who runs a gym in L.A. that isn’t keen on training Adonis as he’s training another fighter that was supposed to fight Conlan. Tony Bellew is terrific as the light heavyweight champion “Pretty” Ricky Conlan as a top boxer who likes to talk trash as well as be trouble as he would become Adonis’ top opponent hoping to beat him.

Graham McTavish is superb as Conlan’s manager/trainer Tommy Holiday as a man who is trying to take care of Conlan’s business as well as be the one to set the fight against Adonis. Phylicia Rashad is fantastic as Mary Anne Creed as Apollo’s widow and Adonis’ stepmother who is not keen on having Adonis follow in his father’s footsteps as well as wanting to protect him from being beaten as she has to accept the fact that he is his father’s son. Tessa Thompson is excellent as Bianca as an R&B singer-songwriter trying to make it as she befriends Adonis and becomes his girlfriend while trying to understand his struggle towards his father’s legacy and other issues in his life.

Sylvester Stallone is phenomenal as Rocky Balboa as the former boxing legend who has retired as he reluctantly becomes Adonis’ trainer and mentor while dealing with his own mortality as Stallone provides some charm and wit but also a humility and grace of a man facing his life and the guilt over the loss of one of his greatest friends. Finally, there’s Michael B. Jordan in a sensational performance as Adonis Johnson-Creed as the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed who is trying to define his own legacy as he struggles with his identity as it’s a performance with some humility and charisma but also a grounding as a young man coping with the legacy of the man he never knew.

Creed is a tremendous film from Ryan Coogler that features great performances from Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone. Along with its incredible ensemble cast, top-notch direction, gritty visuals, and a hypnotic soundtrack, it’s a film that isn’t just a worthy entry into the Rocky series but also a boxing film that explores a young man trying to find himself in and out of the ring. In the end, Creed is a spectacular film from Ryan Coogler.

Ryan Coogler Films: Fruitvale Station - Black Panther (2018 film) - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Sinners (2025 film) - The Auteurs #74: Ryan Coogler

Rocky Films: Rocky - (Rocky II) – (Rocky III) – (Rocky IV) – (Rocky V) – (Rocky Balboa) – (Creed II) - (Creed III)

© thevoid99 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Based on the comic series by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 revolves around the gang of misfits who travel all over outer space as they deal with new foes as well as get help from old allies and enemies while trying to find out the truth over the parentage of Peter Quill/Starlord. Written for the screen and directed by James Gunn, the film is an exploration of heroes trying to keep their family together as well as deal with those who want to tear them apart. Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker, Elizabeth Debicki, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Chris Sullivan, Sylvester Stallone, and Kurt Russell along with the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a sprawling yet touching film from James Gunn.

The film follows the band of misfits known as the Guardians of the Galaxy where they take on missions as one of them has gotten the group in trouble where they’re later saved by a mysterious figure known as Ego (Kurt Russell) who is revealed to be the father of Peter Quill/Starlord (Chris Pratt). The film isn’t just about Quill learning about his father but also the Guardians dealing with this news as they try to figure what he’s about and why he’s been looking for Quill for so long. Even as they wonder why the Ravager Yondu Udonata (Michael Rooker) had kept and raised Quill for so many years as Yondu is forced to deal with the exile of being part of the main Ravagers group where he is later usurped in a mutiny after refusing to do a job in capturing the Guardians. James Gunn’s screenplay definitely carries a major theme that is prevalent through the film which is about family as the Guardians are a dysfunctional group who at times couldn’t tolerate each other but all work to try and save the universe no matter how much they get on each other’s nerves.

It’s not just Quill dealing with his feelings for the alien Gamora (Zoe Saldana) but also learning more about who he is after meeting Ego who would take him, Gamora, and the alien Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) to his home planet. The character of the genetically-engineered raccoon Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper) has a hard time dealing with being part of a family as he would get the Guardians in trouble with a Sovereign race whom they were supposed to work for in exchange of freeing Gamora’s estranged adopted sister Nebula (Karen Gillan). Nebula would later help Yondu’s mutinous Ravagers in capturing Rocket and the tree-like humanoid in Baby Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) in the hopes of dealing with Gamora as the script reveal more of Nebula’s own issues with Gamora as it goes back to how their adopted father Thanos raised them.

The script also reveal a lot about Ego and what he was doing on Earth when he met Quill’s mother (Laura Haddock) as he is someone that is very powerful being with powers that can do so much as he wants to pass it on to Quill. Yet, Gamora is uneasy about Ego as well as Drax who learn more about Ego’s powers through Ego’s pet empath Mantis (Pom Klementieff) whose job is to make sure Ego would sleep as she’s having a hard time doing that where she would befriend Drax. Yet, the Guardians would still have to cope with the Sovereign race led by its leader Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) who is very upset over the batteries that Rocket stole forcing another showdown to save the universe.

Gunn’s direction is definitely grand in terms of where much of the film is set as it is largely set in various planets and parts of the galaxy. With some of it shot around Cartersville, Georgia for a few sequences including its opening sequence involving Ego and Quill’s mother. Gunn definitely knows how to establish the characters and the story as well as create different worlds in the galaxy to play into something that is very large and what is at stake. The opening battle scene where the Guardians are trying to protect powerful batteries features a long tracking shot where all of the Guardians but Groot are fighting as Groot is dancing to some music which showcases the mixture of humor and adventure that is prevalent throughout the film. The wide shots do help play into the grandness of the galaxy and some of locations in the different planets but it also play into the world that is Ego’s planet which does have something that is very enchanting.

Gunn makes sure the film’s humor is approached very naturally while finding the time to create moments that would lead to action sequences or anything that is about the characters as he would shoot these moments with medium shots and close-ups. Notably the sequence in which Rocket and Yondu are jailed by Yondu’s men as it’s a very intimate moment revealing two individuals who are troublemakers but do have something to offer in doing what is right for the universe. That intimacy would also play into the growing friendship between Drax and Mantis as well as the complicated relationship between Gamora and Nebula where both women have to deal with what their father did to them. All of which would force many to deal with not just evil forces but also learn the importance of family no matter how dysfunctional they are. Overall, Gunn creates a thrilling and witty comedy about a gang of misfits trying to save the galaxy and deal with each other.

Cinematographer Henry Braham does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the naturalistic look of the scenes set on Earth to many of the lighting schemes and hues for some of the different planets as well as a mixture of colors in the lighting. Editors Fred Raskin and Craig Wood do nice work with the editing as it is quite stylish with its usage of montages as well as jump-cuts for some of the action without deviating too much into fast-paced cutting. Production designer Scott Chambliss, with supervising art director Ramsey Avery as well as set decorators Lauri Gaffin and Jay Hart, does amazing work with the look of the different spaceships as well as the different worlds the characters go to from the golden look of the Sovereign race to the exotic beauty of Ego’s planet. Costume designer Judianna Makovsky does terrific work with the costumes from the look of the Ayesha as well as the clothes that Ego wears. Makeup artists Bill Myer and Jay Wejebe, along with hair stylist Jules Holdren, does brilliant work with the look of the characters such as some of the Ravagers as well as the look of the Sovereign race.

Visual effects supervisors Ray McMaster, Doug Spilatro, and Christopher Townsend do fantastic work with the visual effects from the design of some of the planets and some of the creatures as well as the look of Ego’s home planet. Sound designers David Acord and Addison Teague do superb work with the sound in creating some sound effects as well as create mixes to combine different sounds for the action scenes and intense sci-fi scenes. The film’s music by Tyler Bates is wonderful for its mixture of orchestral music with some electronic flourishes for the action and humor while music supervisor Dave Jordan creates a kick-ass soundtrack that mixes rock, soul, pop, and country that feature contributions from acts such as Electric Light Orchestra, Sweet, George Harrison, Glen Campbell, Parliament, Cheap Trick, Cat Stevens, Fleetwood Mac, Sam Cooke, Looking Glass, Jay and the Americans, Silver, Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah, and a disco song by Tyler Bates and James Gunn with David Hasselhoff.

The casting by Sarah Finn is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Laura Haddock as Quill’s mother in the flashbacks, Evan Jones as a Ravager who betrays Yondu, Aaron Schwartz as the model for the young Ego, Hannah Gottesman as the Sovereign chambermaid, and the obligatory cameo from Stan Lee as an astronaut telling stories to the Watchers. Other notable small roles include Chris Sullivan as the Ravager known as Taserface who would betray Yondu as he’s very funny as is Sean Gunn in a dual-role as the on-set version of Rocket and Yondu’s loyal second-in-command Kraglin who would play an integral part of the story in helping the Guardians. Sylvester Stallone is terrific in a small but important role as Stakar Ogord as the Ravagers leader who has issues with Yondu over the things that Yondu has done as he has excommunicated him feeling that Yondu isn’t worthy to be a true Ravager. Elizabeth Debicki is wonderful as the Sovereign leader Ayesha as a golden-like woman who is quite arrogant as she becomes upset over what Rocket does as she tries to hunt the Guardians with her army.

Pom Klementieff is fantastic as Mantis as an empath who works for Ego as she can sort out people’s feelings where she is a foil of sorts for Drax due to her lack of social interaction as there’s an air of innocence to her performance. The voice performances of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel are excellent with the former being the genetically-engineered raccoon Rocket who can create weapons but is afraid to be part of a family while Diesel’s voice role as Groot is very funny as the tiny tree-like humanoid who can only say the words “I am Groot” as he provides the film’s funniest moments. Karen Gillan is brilliant as Nebula as Gamora’s estranged adopted sister who has a grudge towards Gamora where she does whatever she can to kill her while realizing what is at stake with the galaxy as they both share a hatred for their adopted father Thanos. Michael Rooker is amazing as Yondu Udonata as a Ravager who copes with being exiled from the Ravagers as well as his own relationship with Quill as he learns about Quill meeting his father whom he doesn’t like.

Kurt Russell is marvelous as Ego as a powerful, God-like being who is Quill’s father as a man with cosmic powers to create anything including his own planet as there’s a complexity to Russell’s performance that is engaging but also unsettling at times. Dave Bautista is great as Drax the Destroyer as a big alien who says some very strange things yet proves to be very entertaining as he is always very funny while kicking some ass. Zoe Saldana is phenomenal as Gamora as an alien who is kind of the conscience of the group as someone who does have feelings for Quill as she is suspicious about Ego while also forcing to see the things she has done to Nebula. Finally, there’s Chris Pratt in a remarkable performance as Peter Quill/Starlord as a half-human/half-Celestial who learns about the identity of his father as he deals with issues of abandonment and family while trying to do what is right for the galaxy as he becomes torn into being with the Guardians or with his father.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a marvelous film from James Gunn. Featuring a great ensemble cast, an engaging theme on family and loyalty, gorgeous visuals, and a fun music soundtrack. The film definitely offers a lot in terms of its entertainment value with high-octane action and lots of humor as well as provide themes that audiences can relate to. In the end, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a sensational film from James Gunn.


James Gunn Films: (Slither) - (Super (2010 film)) - The Suicide Squad (2021 film) - Superman (2025 film) - (The Auteurs #76: James Gunn)

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Infinity Saga: Phase One: Iron Man - The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 - Thor - Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers (2012 film)

Phase Two: Iron Man 3 - Thor: The Dark World - Captain America: The Winter Soldier - Guardians of the Galaxy - The Avengers: Age of Ultron - Ant-Man

Phase Three: Captain America: Civil War - Doctor Strange - Spider-Man: Homecoming - Thor: Ragnarok - Black Panther - Avengers: Infinity War - Ant-Man & the Wasp - Captain Marvel - Avengers: Endgame - Captain Marvel - Spider-Man: Far from Home

Multiverse Saga: Phase Four: Black Widow (2021 film) - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – Eternals – Spider-Man: No Way Home – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Thor: Love and Thunder – Werewolf by Night - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Phase Five: Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – The Marvels – (Deadpool & Wolverine) - (Captain America: Brave New World) - (Thunderbolts*)

Phase 6: The Fantastic Four: First Steps - (Avengers: Doomsday) - (Avengers: Secret Wars)

Related: MCU is Cinema: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 – Pt. 4 – (Part 5) – (Part 6) – (Part 7) - The MCU: 10 Reasons Why It Rules the World

© thevoid99 2017

Demolition Man

Directed by Marco Brambilla and screenplay by Daniel Waters, Peter Reneau, and Peter M. Lenkov from a story by Reneau and Lenkov, Demolition Man is the story a cop from the 1990s who is cryogenically frozen for 36 years as he is reinstated to go after an old foe who was also cryogenically frozen in a futuristic society. The film plays into the aspects of utopia and dystopia where a cop and a criminal from the 20th Century deal with the new rules of the new world as a cop gets the aide of a 20th Century-loving officer. Starring Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, Benjamin Bratt, Denis Leary, Rob Schneider, and Bob Gunton. Demolition Man is a silly but very exhilarating film from Marco Brambilla.

Set in 2032 in a futuristic city called San Angeles that combined three Californian cities in the aftermath of an earthquake, the film explores a utopia that becomes disrupted by cryogenically frozen criminal who escapes as he is ordered to kill a rebel leader prompting the police force to revive his cryogenically frozen foe in a former cop. While it’s a film with a simple plot that does take many of the dystopian ideas of Aldous Huxley, it’s a film that not only pokes fun at the idea of utopia but also how flawed it can be. The film’s screenplay not only create this utopian world where there’s little-to-no violence as well as no anti-social behavior or anything that can harm humanity. It also creates this world where there’s no usage of profanity, no sex, no touching skin, no smoking, no eating red meat, no vices, and there’s no toilet paper where people have to use three seashells in case they wanted to take a shit. Essentially, it’s a fucked up world where everyone acts like a bunch of pussies.

The protagonist in John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) and the antagonist in Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) are two men who were part of a world that is very violent and destructive where Spartan’s actions to capture Phoenix led to the death of many hostages that Spartan was supposed to save. The disgraced Spartan and the already-dangerous Phoenix were forced to take part in an experiment where they’re both cryogenically frozen for 36 years until Phoenix in a parole hearing escapes. Phoenix’s actions in San Angeles which allowed him increased programming to hack into computers and do more than he already knew makes him a viable threat to the city. Especially where the police force reluctantly revive Spartan to capture Phoenix as Spartan would have trouble adjusting to his new world and the family that he had lost.

While Spartan is seen by many in the future as this brutish caveman, his new partner in Lenina Huxley (Sandra Bullock) is a woman fascinated by the past as she learns about Spartan’s actions while telling him the rules of the new world. Leading this idea of a utopia is San Angeles’ leader Dr. Raymond Cocteau (Nigel Hawthorne) who has a very warped view about how society should live where his ideals are being threatened by a rebel leader in Edgar Friendly (Denis Leary) who lives under the city with a bunch of people who refuse to live under Cocteau’s rules despite the risk of starvation. Once Spartan realizes what Cocteau is about and how Phoenix is being used to carry Cocteau’s plan to kill Friendly. It becomes not just more complex but also filled with this concept that there is no such thing as a perfect society where even the deranged sociopath in Phoenix even questions Cocteau’s own ideas. It’s the script’s willingness to ask the big questions while putting enough humor that is among the key strengths of the film.

Marco Brambilla’s direction is pretty typical of the action-blockbusters in terms of approach to extravagant action sequences as well as some stylish approach to fights and gunplay. Yet, Brambilla does know how to slow the film in order to explore this idea of utopian San Angeles and how pacifism can lead to this idea that there is no bad in the world. Much of Brambilla’s compositions in these light-hearted moments are very simple in terms of its close-ups and medium shots in the way he plays out the drama. In his approach to humor, it is also light-hearted with some very offbeat references such as Spartan discovering that Arnold Schwarzenegger was President of the United States despite not being a natural-born American.

There’s also elements of style such as a weird sex scene between Spartan and Huxley which involves virtual reality since actual sex is forbidden. The action scenes are pretty intense with lots of explosions and fighting as Brambilla knows how to keep things engaging without losing insight into what is at stake. Even as it can get over the top at times while mixing it with some offbeat humor. Overall, Brambilla creates a very enjoyable yet intelligent film about two men from the 1990s who are reawaken in a futuristic utopia gone wrong.

Cinematographer Alex Thomson does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from the stylish and mesmerizing look of San Angeles in day and night to the look of the grimy underground with its low-key lights. Editor Stuart Baird does excellent work in creating a very straightforward style in the humor and drama while putting in some stylish jump-cuts and fast-cuts for the action scenes. Production designer David L. Snyder, with art director Walter P. Marthishius and set decorators Robert Gould and Etta Leff, does fantastic work with the set pieces from the futuristic look of San Angeles from its museums, police station, and its Taco Bell restaurant.

Costume designer Bob Ringwood does superb work with the costumes from some of the futuristic clothing the characters wear that includes the dress that Huxley wears at Taco Bell. Visual effects supervisor John C. Wash does nice work with some of the film‘s visual effects such as phaser gun bullets and other futuristic objects that Phoenix would use. Sound designers Michael Geisler, William Griggs, Sam Horta, and Kevin Spears, with sound editor Robert G. Henderson, do terrific work with the sound from some of the layers of sounds in the action sequences to the stun baton that the police uses. The film’s music by Elliot Goldenthal is pretty good for its orchestral bombast that plays into the action and humor while the soundtrack features an array of jingles that serves as the oldies radio station plus a re-worked version of the Police song Demolition Man by its front man Sting.

The casting by Ferne Cassel and Joy Todd is incredible as it feature some cameo appearances from MTV host Dan Cortese as a Taco Bell lounge pianist, Jack Black as one of Denis Leary’s gang members, Rob Schneider as a humorous police receptionist, Andre Gregory as an older version of the cryo-prison warden, Brandy Ledford as the naked video girl that Spartan sees, and Jesse “The Body” Ventura as an associate of Phoenix. Other notable small roles include Glen Shadix as Dr. Cocteau’s aide Associate Bob, Bill Cobbs as an old cop who knows Spartan who suggested that Spartan should go after Phoenix, Benjamin Bratt as the content but violence-phobia officer Alfredo Garcia, and Bob Gunton in a superb performance as the police chief George Earle who despises Spartan’s brutish tactics. Denis Leary is excellent as the rebel leader Edgar Friendly who opposes Dr. Cocteau’s ideas of utopia as he is just trying to get food for the people as Leary has this very funny rant about how he wants to live.

Nigel Hawthorne is amazing as Dr. Raymond Cocteau as this city leader who wants to create his own idea of society as he is described an evil version of Mr. Rogers. Sandra Bullock is fantastic as Lieutenant Lenina Huxley as this young cop who is eager for action as Bullock brings a charm that is fun to watch as well as some funny moments where she tries to say some puns to impress Spartan. Wesley Snipes is phenomenal as Simon Phoenix as this offbeat villain who says some amazing puns as well as being very diabolical as it’s one of Snipes’ finest performances. Finally, there’s Sylvester Stallone in a marvelous performance as John Spartan as Stallone brings that sense of tough guy attitude to his role with some humor that allows him to be overwhelmed and the butt of jokes as it’s one of his more underrated performances that has him be cool and funny.

Demolition Man is a spectacularly off-the-wall and entertaining film from Marco Brambilla that features great performances from Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. Along with a great supporting cast led by Sandra Bullock as well as very engaging themes on utopia, it’s a film that has enough entertainment value for fans of action films but it’s also very funny and has some unique satire that makes it a cut above most action sci-fi films. In the end, Demolition Man is one absolutely ass-kicking film from Marco Brambilla.

© thevoid99 2014

Rocky

Directed by John G. Avildsen and written and starring Sylvester Stallone, Rocky is the story of a club fighter who is down on his luck as he is given a shot to fight the heavyweight champion of the world. The film is the first of a series of films that explores the trials and tribulations of Rocky Balboa as he is a kind-hearted man that is trying to make it in the only thing he knows how to do. Also starring Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Tony Burton, and Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed. Rocky is a heartwarming and sensational film from John G. Avildsen.

The film is a simple story about a club fighter named Rocky Balboa who is a good, kind-hearted man with little prospects as he is given a shot to fight the World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed. Yet, the film follows the life of this guy who knows how to fight while he spends part of his time collecting money for a loan shark just to make a living. Still, it’s not enough as he’s considered a bum by most people living in the urban neighborhood in Philadelphia while a gym owner named Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith) is convinced that Rocky is wasting his potential by working for a loan shark. When opportunity arises to fight Apollo Creed all because of his nickname in The Italian Stallion, it becomes one of many things that help Rocky’s life as he also falls for a shy pet store clerk named Adrian (Talia Shire). While he is considered a long-shot to win the fight, Rocky would do something to surprise everyone in his climatic fight with Creed.

Sylvester Stallone’s screenplay reveals a lot of the struggles of a man just trying to get a break in life as he wants to do good yet he isn’t given many opportunities to do so. Particularly as he is someone who is street-smart but had to give up school as a teenager making life much tougher for him. The only friend he has is an alcoholic meat-packing plant worker named Paulie (Burt Young) who is also Adrian’s older brother. Adrian becomes the one person in Rocky’s life that shows him a world with love as he would help her come out of her shell more as she eventually stands up to the abusive tirades of her brother. The opportunity to fight Creed isn’t just something that Rocky needed to help his life but also prove to the people that he’s not a bum. Even as he turns to Mickey for help as Mickey had been reluctant in the past but knows Rocky needs someone who can help him.

The Apollo Creed character is based on some of the more outrageous fighters of the 1960s and 1970s as he’s a man that needed to fight a fighter as his original fight fell through. By giving an unknown a shot at the title on New Year’s Day in 1976, it would give Creed the publicity that he craves for as a man who is generous with the people. What he doesn’t know is that his opponent is training for the fight a little more seriously as it does lead to this fight. There’s a moment in the third act before the fight where an admittedly-scared Rocky knows that he couldn’t beat the undefeated Creed. Yet, he doesn’t want to go out there and lose like a bum where the fight would have Rocky do the unthinkable in that fight.

John G. Avildsen’s direction is quite understated for much of the film in terms of creating the sense of drama as it has this sense of looseness in the way things play out. Even as it features scenes of Rocky walking around place in Philadelphia where the place itself is a character in the film. While a lot of the dramatic moments are shot with some simplicity, the scenes involving the fights are more stylish. Notably in the way it shows Rocky’s training methods like hitting meat in a meat locker or running around the streets of Philadelphia. Avildsen also creates some amazing training montages where the shots of Rocky running in training featured one of the most early uses of the Steadicam that would also include the shot of Rocky reaching the top of the steps of Philadelphia Museum of Arts.

The climatic fight scene is presented with such degree of style where Avildsen does use some stock footage for the crowd scenes as while having the camera be in and outside the ring to capture the intensity. Even as it reveals what the crowd is seeing as there’s a lot of drama in the fight including some moments where both Rocky and Creed put their bodies at great risk. Overall, Avildsen creates a very gripping yet powerful film about a fighter getting the opportunity to do good and fight the champ.

Cinematographer James Crabe does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography by using very simple lighting schemes for some of the film‘s interiors and exteriors while creating a sense of style for the film‘s fights with some unique uses of lighting. Editors Scott Conrad and Richard Halsey do great work with the editing to use more simple but effective cuts in the dramatic portions while creating some amazing montages in the training sequence as well as some rhythmic cuts in the climatic fight. Production designer William J. Cassidy, with set decorator Ray Molyneaux and art director James H. Spencer, does nice work with some of the set pieces along with the lavish look of the climatic fight.

Makeup designer Michael Westmore does terrific work with the makeup for the film‘s climatic fight to showcase the brutality the two men put upon each other. The sound work of Bud Alper, Lyle J. Burbridge, William McCaughey, and Harry Warren Tetrick is wonderful for the atmosphere that occurs in the gym and in the fights along with the intimate scene of Rocky and Adrian at the ice skating rink. The film’s music by Bill Conti is brilliant as it features some soaring orchestral music including the theme Gonna Fly Now along with some plaintive piano pieces to express Rocky’s melancholia.

The casting by Caro Jones is fantastic as it features some notable appearances from famed fighter Joe Frazier as well as performances from Joe Spinnell as the loan shark Tony Gazzo, Thayer David as the promoter George Jergens, and Tony Burton as Creed’s trainer Tony “Duke” Evers. Carl Weathers is great as the flamboyant fighter Apollo Creed as a man who is full of charisma and skill only to realize that the opponent he picked isn’t some bum. Burt Young is excellent as Rocky’s friend Paulie who tries to help Rocky out while being very cruel towards his sister claiming she’s making his life difficult. Burgess Meredith is superb as Mickey as a former boxer who is aware of Rocky’s potential as he helps trains for the fight. Talia Shire is wonderful as Adrian as a shy pet store clerk who falls for Rocky as she helps him deal with the doubts he has. Finally, there’s Sylvester Stallone in a magnificent performance as Rocky Balboa by displaying a man who is very good to people though doesn’t get appreciated while being a tough guy with heart as it’s definitely a true breakthrough for Sly.

Rocky is a tremendous film from John G. Avildsen and its star/writer Sylvester Stallone. The film isn’t just one of the great sport movies but also an inspirational story of how an underdog can overcome the odds. Even as it’s a film that started one of the great franchises in films while finding a character in Rocky Balboa for the people to root for. In the end, Rocky is an outstanding film from John G. Avildsen.

Rocky Films: (Rocky II) - (Rocky III) - (Rocky IV) - (Rocky V) - (Rocky Balboa) - Creed (2015 film) - (Creed II)

John G. Avildsen Films: (Turn on to Love) - (Guess What We Learned in School Today?) - (Joe) - (Cry Uncle!) - (Okay Bill) - (Save the Tiger) - (The Stoolie) - (Fore Play) - (W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings) - (Slow Dancing in the Big City) - (The Formula) - (Neighbors) - (Traveling Hopefully) - (A Night in Heaven) - The Karate Kid - The Karate Kid Part II - (Happy New Year) - (For Keeps) - (Lean on Me) - The Karate Kid Part III - (The Power of One) - (8 Seconds) - (Inferno)

© thevoid99 2013

Bananas

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/17/06.  Happy 75th Birthday Woody.

Before Allen went into more somber but humorous films that led to masterpieces like Annie Hall, Manhattan, Hannah & Her Sisters, and Crimes & Misdemeanors, some Allen fans preferred the pre-Annie Hall films Allen did. Mostly because they were filled with his brand of slapstick, neurotic humor that came from his days as a stand-up comic. One of those early films that Woody Allen did as a writer/director/star of his films was a 1971 satire film on dictatorship and American imperialism entitled Bananas.

Written with Mickey Rose, Bananas is a slapstick satire about a products tester who gets involved with a politically-motivated woman only to be dumped because he isn't a leader. In order to win her back, the guy goes to the third-world country of San Marcos which is run by a dictatorship where he stumbles into a rebellious revolutionary group and becomes their unlikely leader. Starring Allen, Louise Lasser, Carlos Montalban, Jacobo Morales, Howard Cossell, Don Dunphy, and in an early film appearance, Sylvester Stallone.

For Fielding Mellish (Woody Allen), his life as a products tester hasn't been an fulfilling one while he has troubles trying to get girls and buy porno magazines. Then one day in his apartment, Fielding invites a political activist named Nancy (Louise Lasser) who asks for him to sign a petition for the U.S. government to stop their relations with the third-world country San Marcos, which is currently run by a dictator named General Emilio M. Vargas (Carlos Montalban). The result for Fielding is that he gains a date and pretends to be very political so he can get a shot at Louise. Unfortunately, his attempt to be very political fails as a planned trip to San Marcos is cancelled when Louise dumps him for not being a real leader. Distraught, Fielding quits his job and angers his surgeon parents (Charlotte Rae & Stanley Ackerman) by going to San Marcos himself.

Upon arriving, Vargas learns that an American has arrived and was hoping to get some political insight from Fielding despite his lack of knowledge. After consulting with his advisors, Vargas decides to have Fielding killed by men pretending to be the revolutionary rebels. Fielding survives only to be captured by the real rebels led by Esposito (Jacobo Morales) who takes Fielding as a prisoner and a soldier. Fielding's attempt to become a real revolutionary is hard and clumsy but immediately gains the respects of the troops while scoring with female revolutionary Yolanda (Natividad Abascal). An attempt to kidnap some ambassadors by Fielding doesn't go well yet his contributions helped overthrow Vargas as Esposito becomes the new president of San Marcos.

Unfortunately, Esposito's new laws become very absurd as he changes the official language to Swedish as fellow revolutionary Luis (Miguel Angel Suarez) decides that Fielding becomes the leader. Through some strange plots, Fielding becomes the new leader of San Marcos where the country is in trouble as their only profitable export is bananas. Luis and Fielding (sporting a fake, Castro-like beard) goes to the U.S. to get aid only to have the truth be revealed on who he is. Everyone from Howard Cosell, Miss America Sharon Craig (Dagne Crane) to J. Edgar Hoover (Dorothi Fox) as a black woman in disguise try to implicate Fielding who tries to ponder the mess he's been in.

Part of Allen's genius for comedy isn't just being the brunt of jokes but his love for slapstick comedy. While the film isn't perfect and isn't meant to be taken seriously, Allen does bring a lot of intelligence to his humor. Especially in his approach to satire about third-world dictatorship where the opening scene in the film is Howard Cossell and Roger Grimsby doing their usual Wide World of Sports commentary on the assassination. The film is also funny on its social commentary and how Allen manages to bring his slapstick humor into the forefront. Some scenes are just priceless when Allen is in training to be a rebel or him trying to get food for his troops. It's proof that Woody is a comedic genius for his natural wit and slapstick humor while he and Mickey Rose writes with such natural delivery in how he wants things to be funny while Allen does some great work in the directing.

Helping Allen on the technical front are cinematographer Andrew M. Costikyan and editors Ron Kalish and Ralph Rosenblum who do great work in their respective fields. The locations for New York City and Puerto Rico as San Marcos are wonderful choices, especially to convey the lunacy of the revolution. The music that Allen has selected from film's score composer Marvin Hamlisch are wonderfully comic from the opening credits through everything that goes out on film.

The casting is even more inspiring with the hilarious cameos from the late Howard Cossell and Don Dunphy to small parts from Dagne Craig, Allen Garfield, Dorothi Fox, Miguel Angel Suarez, Charlotte Rae and Stanley Ackerman as Fielding's parents, and in an early film appearance playing a hood in a hilarious subway scene, Sylvester Stallone. In two hilarious supporting performances both contrasting the ideals of leadership, Carlos Montalban and Jacobo Morales are very funny in their roles, notably Morales as Esposito whose ideas of running his country are very absurd. In playing the female lead, Allen's former wife Louise Lasser does great work in playing Nancy who has all the elements to drive Allen's character into taking action. Lasser does have some funny moments though she is often overlooked in comparison to other Allen muses like Diane Keaton and Mia Farrow to supporting players like Dianne Wiest and Judy Davis.

Finally, we have Woody Allen in one of his funniest performances. Allen is known for his schtick as a neurotic, insecure, wimpy kind of guy but it's the kind of character that works for Woody. Woody not only uses his own brand of slapstick but sells every funny moment onscreen. Whether he's trying the exercise-desk machine to trying to buy porno magazines or trying to set the mood. Here’s a guy that people can root for or relate to and it's all due to the genius of Woody Allen.

While some might not get the humor or satire of Bananas, the film is still one of Woody Allen's finer, earlier moments. Though more serious films fans might lean towards films like Annie Hall, Hannah & Her Sisters, and Crimes & Misdemeanors, Bananas, does bring enough laughs to make even to the most serious of film fanatics. Anyone who wants to discover Woody's early work should check this out since all the comedy is all done to entertain and bring some good insight into American imperialism. Overall, Bananas is a true, hilarious gem from the always funny, brilliant Woody Allen.

Woody Allen Films: What's Up, Tiger Lily? - Take the Money and Run - Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) - Sleeper - Love & Death - Annie Hall - Interiors - Manhattan - Stardust Memories - A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy - Zelig - Broadway Danny Rose - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Hannah & Her Sisters - Radio Days - September - Another Woman - New York Stories-Oedipus Wrecks - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Alice - Shadows & Fog - Husbands & Wives - Manhattan Murder Mystery - Don't Drink the Water - Bullets Over Broadway - Mighty Aphrodite - Everyone Says I Love You - Deconstructing Harry - Celebrity - Sweet & Lowdown - Small Time Crooks - The Curse of the Jade Scorpion - Hollywood Ending - Anything Else - Melinda & Melinda - Match Point - Scoop - Cassandra's Dream - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Whatever Works - You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger - Midnight in Paris - To Rome with Love - Blue Jasmine - Magic in the Moonlight - Irrational Man - (Cafe Society)

The Auteurs #24: Woody Allen: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2010